


A Game of Kings

by ctrlc_ctrlv



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - War, BAMF Charles, Charles kinda likes Erik, Erik is kinda a dick, Fluff, Logan doesn't like Erik, Lord Charles Xavier, Lord Magneto, M/M, Mutant magic powers, No one likes Erik, magic is involved, these tags are all over the place
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 22:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9144082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ctrlc_ctrlv/pseuds/ctrlc_ctrlv
Summary: The war has gone on for too long and too many lives have been lost. Lord Archmage Xavier, in the seventh year of the war with the Brethren, declares that he will offer his hand in marriage to any suitor who will end the conflict. However, it comes as a shock to all when Lord Magneto himself, leader of the Brethren, presents himself as a suitor.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Collected Minifills and Ficlets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/637984) by [professor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/professor/pseuds/professor). 



> A big thank you to  professor  for allowing me to expand on their ficlet!

_In the years before the Sovereign Lands were formed, there had been a war that lasted for generations. Not much is known of these years except that the leaders of the warring tribes were able to come to an agreement and bring an end to the bloodshed. This lead to the formation of the Sovereignty Treaty which brought peace between the tribes. Despite this, one of the leaders disliked the Treaty and wished for all the lands to become one instead of coexisting._

_This leader reasoned that the division of tribes would leave them more susceptible to disputes while unity would liberate everyone from such worries. The other leaders, however, saw this as an act of dominance in which one would have the power to rule all. In fear of this, the other leaders banished the leader and his people to what is now known as Genosha today. Genosha is an island nation to the east of current day Westchester. The terrain had once been rough and inhospitable but the exiled leader was able to cultivate the land into the place that it is today._

_…_

_On the mainland, the area to the north would soon become known as Westchester. In the early days after the war, the people of Westchester built a library to house the documents that solidified the peace between the Sovereign Lands and the banishment of the Genoshans. Over the years it became a sanctum for the academic and a beacon for harmony._

— Excerpt from “A History of Modern Genosha”, written by Mage-Archivist McCoy

“Your majesty!” a voice echoes through the hallways of the Xavier Manor. Charles looks up from his novel, a finger still poised over the last word he had read. As if on cue, there’s a knock on his study door.

“Come in.”

“Your majesty,” Lieutenant Summers says, attempting to mask his breathlessness. He bows his head in greeting which Charles waves off.

“ _Charles_ ,” he corrects as he walks over to the lieutenant, “Something wrong, Alex?”

“War… Warships approaching our eastern borders, sir… I mean Charles.”

Charles is sceptical at the remark but Alex isn’t one to lie. He places two fingers on his temple, a frown gracing Charles soft features as looks into the boy’s mind. He sees the warships approaching at immense speed. He feels the panic and raising anxiety as Alex scrambles down from the battlements, shouting commands at passing guards. Despite the noise, Charles hears a word that makes his blood run cold.

_Genoshans._

Charles pulls out of his lieutenant’s mind, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Alex is pale and his eyes are locked onto Charles as if waiting for him to speak.

“Considering the Genoshans have breached our waters without prior notice, would you consider this a deceleration of war, sir?”

Charles licks his lips nervously. He had studied military tactics as a child but never in his life did he think he would need to apply them. Charles had never been a fighter. He always found ways to resolve an issue without the need of violence but with the Genoshan navy mere minutes away, violence seems to be the only option.

“Alert the navy to prepare me a ship.”

“Do you mean ship _s_ , sir?”

“No, Alex. Just one ship. I’m going to talk to the leader of the Genoshans.”

“That won’t be necessary,” a voice interrupts.

“MacTaggert. What a pleasant surprise.”

“Charles, we are about to be at war with Genosha. Talking to them will not stop their fleets from firing at us.”

“Have you tried talking to them?”

“Charles, I mean no disrespect, but this is war. There is no civilised talking when it’s war.”

“I understand,” Charles says, adjusting a cloak over his shoulders, “but if I can end this war before it starts, there will be no casualties on either side.”

Moira sighs. “Summers!” she says and the lieutenant instantly straightens up, “go prepare the Lord Archmage a ship.” The boy nods and hurries out of the study without a word. Moira turns to Charles who’s looking out of the window in his study with a frown. “Charles, I trust in your decision but in the event that you are unable to get through to the Genoshans, we will have no choice but to engage in war.”

There is a long pause before Charles finally replies, “I understand, Moira.”

~

“Your ship is ready, sir.”

~

The journey to the battlements is a short one but with the chatter of his councilmen, each trying to convince Charles that there is no use reasoning with people who won’t listen, the trip seems to extend for hours. They should take their own advice, Charles thinks to himself bitterly.

“We implore you, your highness,” one of the councilmen says, “this is a dangerous decision to make. The Genoshans are known to be hostile and violent. You should not be risking your life in such a way.” The two other councilmen nod in agreement.

“As ruler of Westchester, it is my duty to protect my people,” Charles snaps, “even if it means putting my life on the life. Would it not be better if one life could save the thousands that will die if this war were to ensue?”

The councilman looks taken aback by Charles’ sudden outburst. He mutters something under his breath and turns to chat with the councilman across from him. They seem to reach a verdict as the councilman next to Charles turns to him, “You are right, your highness but as ruler it is also your duty to lead your people. With no heir, there will be no one to defend Westchester from the Genoshans if you die during this encounter.”

“So you’re saying that I should let my people die in my place instead? My dear fellow, do not take the lives of the military so lightly. They are already giving up their lives to serve this nation. Their lives mean no less than mine.”

“Yes, your highness. It has been wrong of me to think this way.” The councilman places a hand over his heart and bows his head in apology.

Charles bites his lip at the gesture. “No. I’m sorry for my outburst,” he says after a pause, “It’s wrong of me to get so angry. After all, you have my best intentions in mind. However, I will insist on doing my part to prevent the escalation of this situation.”

“We understand. You are noble to put your people first,” the councilman sitting across from his says. Charles nods in acknowledgement before turning his attention to the view outside the carriage. Every so often, he straightens his suit out for creases or runs a hand through his hair. He isn’t sure why he’s so nervous. It’s not the first time he’s had to settle disputes with other nation leaders but then again, those instances had not been with the consequence of warfare.

“Excuse me, your highness? We’ve arrived.”

~

_Mind- magic is one of the rare abilities that very few are born with. This ability enables the mage to look into the minds of others, manipulate memories and thoughts, mind control and for the advanced, the ability to astral project and perform psychic attacks. In even rarer instances, one may also possess the ability to move objects._

_Mages with this talent possess great power as there are no limits to mind-magic. In saying this, it is a power that must be used with upmost caution._

_…_

_Likewise, magnetism is another one of these rare abilities. Although it is much more common than mind- magic and time- magic. Magnetism allows the mage to generate magnetic fields to manipulate metal, induce flight and create force fields._

_It is believed that mages with this ability are able to extract the iron within blood, however no mage has been documented to have ever been able to do so. Nevertheless, a mage with such abilities should use them with caution._

— Excerpt from “A Guide to Mage Magic”, written by Mage Elder Grey

Charles is pacing on the main deck, the anxiety within him bubbling like a boiling cauldron. The situation is not helped with the immense panic the crew members are projecting. Charles has always viewed his magical abilities as a gift but in moments like these, he wishes he could just shut everyone out.

“You okay there, your majesty?” Logan asks, joining him on the deck.

 “Fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.” Most of his subjects would never dare talk back to their Lord Archmage but Logan had been the few that dared. Charles sighs loudly and turns to face Logan, one of his most trusted Generals and closest of friends.

“I guess most of the time when I’m meeting with nation leaders I don’t have the fear that one wrong move will result in a war.”

“You don’t have to talk. The fucker breached the law.”

“There hasn’t been a war for thousands of years.” Logan raises an eyebrow. “Okay, there’s been a few rebellions and civil uprisings but nothing as big as this. If I say something wrong, we’re talking about all out warfare, Logan! I… I can’t have that kind of blood on my hands.”

“No one likes killing.” Now it’s Charles’ turn to raise an eyebrow. “Fine. _Most_ people don’t enjoy killing but when the time comes and it’s the only thing you can do, no one’s going to blame you for getting your hands a little bloody.”

“ _I’m_ going to blame _myself_ , Logan. If this war takes place, who knows how long it’ll last and how many lives it’ll take! I don’t think I want to carry such a burden. I don’t want to feel their pain.”

“But it is a burden you must carry and their pain you must feel.” Charles lets the words sink in despite every fibre of him rejecting such a notion. He doesn’t _want to_ but he knows that as a leader he _has to_.

“Thank you, Logan. Thank you.” Logan grunts at the appreciation and slaps Charles on the back. The brief contact puts Charles at ease.

“Sir?” Alex says hesitantly, sensing that he’s interrupting a moment.

“What is it, Summers?” Logan barks.

The younger male flinches but maintains an even voice, “We are approaching the fleets, sir. Now would be a good time to survey the enemy… I mean Genoshans. If we are to get any closer, we run the risk of the Genoshans attacking.”

“Thank you, Alex.”  The lieutenant bows at the gratitude and hurries back below deck. Despite there still being a great distance between their ship and the Genoshan fleet, Charles could easily slip into the minds of the Genoshan crew. Jumping from crew member to crew member, he gains little information about the reason behind the intrusion into foreign borders.

On the final ship he scans, he finally comes across the leader of the Genoshans. Charles has heard about the Lord from his councilmen as the Sovereign Lands maintain regular tabs on the island despite the banishment of its people but never in his life did he think he would find the Lord attractive. He indeed had seen a few pictures of the Lord during a council meeting which discussed the crowning of the new leader of Genoshan and the impact on Westchester but he was never really listening during meetings in the first place.

Lord Magneto is looming over one of his crew members with a menacing glare. Charles notes the intensity in his eyes. He attempts to reach into Magneto’s mind but it feels as if he’s trying to break through a steel wall; it’s as if his thoughts are encased in a metal barrier that makes him immune to Charles’ mind- magic.

“Any luck?” Logan asks when he notices Charles’ immense concentration.

“No,” he replies, “I can read the thoughts of all his crew but I can’t seem to read his thoughts. It’s as if something’s blocking my magic.”

“That’s no excuse to not kill the rest of his crew.”

“Logan,” Charles sighs, “you know how I feel towards unnecessary violence.”

“The fucker declared war the moment he crossed our borders. I say we kill them before they kill us,” Logan grins and extends metal claws from between his knuckles.

“Let me talk with Lord Magneto and if violence is the only way… then do what you must.”

“Roger that, your majesty.”

The ship suddenly lurches forward and Charles is nearly thrown off the main deck. Luckily, Logan is there to catch him.

“What the fuck was that?” Logan hisses as he helps steady the Lord Archmage.

“Someone with the rare ability of magnetism just took over our ship,” Charles replies, indicating towards a figure approaching them from across the water. The figure stops mere metres away from the stern of their ship. He wears a metal helmet which leaves only his eyes, nose and mouth uncovered. He has a magenta cape and underneath, he appears to be wearing plum coloured metal armour.

“Lord Archmage Xavier, how pleasant it is to be in your company,” Lord Magneto says but there is no civility to his words, “What brings you out of your manor?”

“I have come to talk, Lord Magneto.”

“Indeed you have. What is it you wish to talk about? The weather perhaps?”

“You have breached the Sovereignty conduct which denotes that by crossing the borders of another nation without prior notice will be taken as a declaration of war. Is this what you intend?”

“It is not.”

“You have nerve making such a bold move, bub,” Logan growls, baring his claws.

Charles moves his arm to hold Logan back, “Stand down, Logan. This is not your fight.”

“You should listen to him,” Magneto says and with a simple gesture, Logan’s claws are retracted back into his knuckles, “Your metal claws pose no threat to me.”

“Magneto, leave him be. However, I ask of you, if you wish of no war between Genosha and Westchester, why did you bring fleets into these waters?”

“You mistake my intentions, Lord Xavier. I do not wish to fight my brothers and sisters here,” Magneto replies, “I have come to unite the tribes into one as my forefathers once wished upon the lands.”

“Genosha can reunite with the Sovereignty Lands without the need for warships. Call off your fleets. I can arrange a meeting with the other leaders. A war is not necessary.”

“Indeed it is not but the other leaders are not as understanding as you are. I have come to Westchester to ask for your allegiance in conquering the other tribes.”

“But why Westchester?”  

“Your people were the only ones who showed benevolence when my people were exiled.”

“So you wish for my people to aid you in an attack of the Sovereignty Lands?”

“Yes.”

The answer comes easily to Charles yet he is unsure if it is the right choice. Magneto is not here to fight him or his people and he wants it to remain this way but he cannot agree to fighting others when the foundation of his people’s ways is to show compassion to all and bring about peace instead of war.

“I understand both of us do not have all day, Lord Archmage Xavier, so I await your answer.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, I cannot agree to your offer. If you wish to attack the Sovereignty lands, you will have to go through Westchester.” Charles expects Magneto to crush their ship then and there but the Lord looks more disappointed than angry.

“I respect your wishes, Lord Archmage. I’ll give you until tomorrow morning to prepare. After that, we will be at war.” And with that, Magneto floats gracefully back to his fleets. Charles is left speechless as he feels a pit form in his stomach. What did he just do?

“Your highness? You okay?” Logan sounds miles away and he can barely feel Logan shake him. “Charles?”

He feels lightheaded as spots begin to appear in his vision. He places a hand on Logan’s shoulder and steadies his gaze. “Evacuate the civilians to the western borders. Prepare the fleets and gather the army. We go to war tomorrow.”

~

Charles wakes up to a throbbing headache and a strong urge to vomit. His eyes grow accustomed to his surroundings and he realises he’s back in his room at the manor. He wishes the events from earlier had been a horrible dream but the way Moira and Logan are talking in hushed tones by the fireplace only solidifies his fears.

“Charles... I go away for a week and you start a war?” a voice says, “is this what happens when I leave you alone?”

“I had no other choice,” he replies with a slight whine. Raven chuckles as she brushes stray hairs from covering her brother’s face. There’s a comfort to being mothered by Raven, seeing as it’s a side that she rarely shows.

“I know. No one’s angered by your decision. In fact, many are relieved.”

“But—” Charles begins yet Raven stops him.

“By choosing to oppose Magneto, you’ve saved the lives of all those who would have died if you chose to side with him.”

“But what about all the innocents who I’ve sent to their deaths?”

“You can’t save everyone Charles.”

“How is it that I was made Lord Archmage instead of you?”

“You work better with old people.”

“I’m only two years older, Raven.”

“My point exactly.”

Charles chuckles, propping himself up so he’s sitting with his back against the backboard. “You never cease to amaze me.” Raven smiles and pats his hand. Logan and Moira notice Charles’ wake which ceases their conversation.

“Charles, you’re awake,” Moira says, making her way over to his bedside, “Are you feeling better?” Logan trails behind her, his features softening upon seeing Charles conscious and with more colour in his cheeks.

“A little. What were you and Logan discussing before?”

Moira glances at Logan who shrugs in reply. “We were going to inform you tomorrow but seeing as you’re eager to know… The civilians have been evacuated as per your request. We have gathered the fleets and the army as well but it seems our numbers are vastly lesser than that of the Genoshans.”

“Numbers will not guarantee a success.”

“Indeed, hence why we must rely on our intellect to gain the upper hand.”

“What do you have in mind, MacTaggert?” Raven asks.

“I had hoped Charles would have been able to use his mind- magic on Magneto to source out a weakness however, as Logan has informed me, Magneto appears to be immune to Charles’ magic. So, Logan and I have been thinking. Magneto plans to conquer Westchester yet he does not know the terrain as well as we do. We can desert the battlements and parts of our eastern border and draw his troops to the Northern Mountains. From there we can ambush them and pick off his men like fish in a barrel.”

“Magneto is not daft enough to bring all his men with him. How do you suggest we handle those who will have settled on our eastern borders? Or what about reinforcements?”

“Do we have enough soldiers to protect the civilians?”  

“We have enough in the army to split them into three divisions. Those who will ambush, those who will be stationed near our eastern borders and those who will protect the civilians. A fourth division will also be made with members of the navy to guard our waters and attack possible Genoshan reinforcements.”

“How will you draw him into the ambush?”

“We can create a group of four that will attack the Genoshan camp and draw them up the mountains,” Charles offers.

“That’s a fool’s mission, Charles!” Raven exclaims, well aware of her brother’s intentions.

“You’re not suggesting that _you’ll_ lead such a group?” Moira asks, “it’ll be suicide.”

“Well I’m not going to sit on the sidelines and watch either. I am _going_ to fight and none of _you_ will stop me.” Charles stares at his three companions, challenging them to object. The determination only accentuates the colour of his eyes, turning soft blues into ice shards. “I _will_ fight alongside my people.”

“Then I will fight alongside you,” Logan says. No one objects to this notion either.

“It’s getting late,” Raven says, breaking the silence, “you should get some rest, Charles.”

“I’ve slept through most of the afternoon. As Lord Archmage, it is my duty to oversee the development and finalisation of such campaigns.”

“You’re still weak from using your mind- magic. MacTaggert and Logan can finalise the campaign details, and I will oversee them.” Charles protests by sliding out of bed to prove to his sister that he is indeed well enough to help but his legs surrender to his weight and he crumbles to the ground. Logan helps him back into bed as Raven and Moira watch on in worry. “You’ve done more than enough for your people today. You need your rest if you are to fight tomorrow.”

“Before you go, I should tell you that our weapons containing iron, cobalt, nickel and adamantium will put us at a disadvantage,” Charles says just as Raven is about to close the door.

“Why do you mention such a thing? Nearly all of our swords are made of adamantium or iron alloys.”

“Magneto is able to manipulate these metals due to their magnetism. He is the only one to possess these abilities yet we must still exhibit great caution and take preventative measures. There is no time for us to forge new swords so I suggest you situate at least one mage in each platoon and distribute as many of our bronze daggers as possible. Alert the blacksmiths to start immediate production on bronze swords,” Charles explains.

Raven stares at her brother and a small smile tugs at her lips. Her brother may be more of an academic than a warrior but she has seen what his immense willpower can help his achieve. “As you wish, Charles.” The door closes with a soft click and Charles is left staring at the canopy of his four-poster bed. He can feel the fatigue taking over but something continues to plague his thoughts. A thought which induces more anxiety than the thought of going into battle the following day.

“How is he able to withstand my magic?” he asks. The question lingers and the more he mauls it over, the more he begins to doubt his own powers. Has he greatly overestimated his abilities? He’s studied all the texts on mind- magic, leaving no books unread and he’s trained with all the great mind- mages of the lands so why does he feel so inadequate?

Charles lets out a sigh and attempts to focus on the crackling of the fire but his mind brings him back to his confrontation with Magneto each time. The memory feels surreal. However, the longer he dwindles in the memory, the more he finds himself focusing on Magneto himself but most importantly, Magneto’s helmet. There’s an odd sense of familiarity with the object as if he’s seen it somewhere before.

~

_Lord Magneto’s helmet is believed to be constructed of magnet metals which are reshaped at a molecular level to generate a magnetic field. Magnetic fields, especially strong ones, are able to reduce or prevent those wielding mind- magic to see into one’s mind._

_However, it should also be noted that Lord Magneto is able to withstand telepathy without his helmet. The helmet merely allows him to focus less on protecting his mind when engaged in a conflict._

_A photo is attached to this document._

— Excerpt from a file in the Westchester Mage Archives on The Brethren

~

Charles feels as if he is close to an answer when he slowly drifts asleep; the dim warm glow of the fireplace and the roar of the fire itself lulls him into a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I'm doing Charles' character justice... hopefully he doesn't come off OOC. If he does seem OOC, feel free to comment or message me! Also another big thank you to all those who've read this first chapter! :)


End file.
